Georgia State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Atlanta, Georgia. It enrolls 26,623 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
72/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes50
Value60
Affordability77
Selectivity56
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 55.4%, Georgia State University is moderately selective.
Acceptance Rate
55.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
940 – 1180
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 26
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Georgia State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
13.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Georgia State University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $15,931 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$15,931
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
51%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
40%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$8,664
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$24,840
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,392
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,002
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,110
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,040
Total Cost of Attendance
$28,241
Application fee: $60 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$13,787
$30,001 – $48,000
$14,430
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,656
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,390
Over $110,000
$20,305
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$20,903Medianpercentile
$25,00075%percentile
$35,98990%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,545
↓ $8,358
No Pell $9,506
↓ $11,397
Dependent students $11,000
↓ $9,903
Independent students $14,750
↓ $6,153
Female students $12,380
↓ $8,523
Male students $11,000
↓ $9,903
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,354, less than completers ($20,903), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
34% of full-time students who enrolled at Georgia State University graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
34%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Georgia State University earn a median of $47,384 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$47,384
Earning > $25K
70%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$44,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$54,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$49,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$50,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $10,600, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
16.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 66% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Georgia State University is home to 26,623 students, a sprawling student community. Some distinctive traits: 32% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
26,623
Part-Time
23%
First-Generation
32%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 43.4%11,549
Asian 16.4%4,369
White 15.4%4,092
Hispanic 15.0%3,983
Other 5.1%1,363
International 4.2%1,121
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Georgia State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CityAtlanta, Georgia
Housing
Partly residential5,271 beds available
Adult Learners
15%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Predominantly Black Institution (PBI)
What You Can Study
Georgia State University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
171 distinct programs across
22 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Georgia State University is 25:1, high (larger classes are common).
Student : Faculty
25:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,824
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$242M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$91,512
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,219 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
327
27%
$136,520
Associate Professors
277
23%
$91,009
Assistant Professors
255
21%
$89,867
Instructors
40
3%
$67,355
Lecturers
207
17%
$61,140
No Rank
113
9%
$55,152
Pros & Cons of Georgia State University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Georgia State University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Wide variety of programs and student life
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
Larger class sizes than typical
Large institutional setting can feel impersonal
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Best for:
Based on the data, Georgia State University is a fit for
students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions about Georgia State University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Georgia State University.
Is Georgia State University hard to get into?
Admissions at Georgia State University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 55.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Georgia State University?
Georgia State University has an acceptance rate of 55.4%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Georgia State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Georgia State University scored between 940 and 1180 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for Georgia State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Georgia State University scored between 19 and 26 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Georgia State University cost?
The average net price after aid at Georgia State University is $15,931 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Georgia State University worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $47,384 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $15,931 per year. That's roughly 3.0x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Georgia State University known for?
Georgia State University is best known for its programs in Psychology, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Biology. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Georgia State University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Georgia State University are $47,384, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Georgia State University accredited?
Yes. Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Georgia State University?
Georgia State University enrolls 26,623 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Georgia State University?
Georgia State University graduates 34% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Georgia State University a public or private college?
Georgia State University is a Public institution.
Where is Georgia State University located?
Georgia State University is located in Atlanta, Georgia.
What programs does Georgia State University offer?
Georgia State University offers 171 distinct programs. The most popular include Psychology, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Biology.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Georgia State University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Georgia State University is 25:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Georgia
Other colleges in Georgia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Experimental Psychology
Public Health
Business Administration
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
